Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103033 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
He faced me fully, not convinced yet. “Are you sure I didn’t come off too strong?”
I exhaled a laugh and sniffled, feeling ridiculous. “I mean, my heart jumped up in my throat, but yeah, I’m sure.”
“Gael!” someone called. Lane. He was over by the refreshments table. “Don’t let him scare you, okay? Say the word and I’ll deal with him. I have permission from Master McKenna.”
Oh my goodness, we had to tone things down immediately. I didn’t enjoy being the center of attention to this degree! Also, everyone was so nice, and it made me feel like crap for having pushed them away before.
“Can you let me fucking deal with this?” Macklin responded to him, half irritated, but he had laughter in his eyes too. “Goddamn brats.”
I couldn’t help it—a snicker burst out. I was a brat too, according to Daddy!
Macklin narrowed his eyes playfully at me, and he leaned closer. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
Crap, he was making me blush again. It sucked!
“I apologize either way,” he murmured. “Like Dean pointed out, I’m used to subs and degradation sluts. But you…are fucking adorable.” He closed the distance between us and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Can I tell you one thing?”
I nodded dumbly. His face was right there, and I couldn’t hide my reaction to him. He was so damn handsome. And he thought I was adorable? I could live with that.
He smiled a little. “It’s totally fine to fall for Dean. He’s not going anywhere. I’ve never seen him like this.”
It’s totally fine to fall for Dean. As if I had a choice at this point. It’d already started.
It made me grin, and somehow I found my courage. “You should take some credit, Sir. You did push us together after all.”
“I did, didn’t I?” His own grin was pure sex, and I…I wanted. I wanted, and I wanted to show my Daddies, who were undoubtedly watching.
I bit my lip. It was my turn. I needed to make the next move, and I wanted to be brave for this stuff. He wasn’t going to shoot me down, right? I mean, he’d been so straightforward and honest with me.
“Pet?”
Crap, I was staring at his mouth. “Yes, Sir?”
“Kiss me.”
Yes, Sir!
Heat flooded my face, but I pressed forward. I took that final step, and I reached up and kissed him carefully.
He didn’t have a trimmed beard like Daddy and Master, just some stubble—and the softest lips. Goodness. Unsure of where to put my hands, I tentatively placed them on his upper abdomen, and I felt his muscles tense up. Then he cupped my cheek and deepened the kiss, and right then and there, with people around us, I tasted his tongue against mine, however briefly.
It was totally Shay who wolf-whistled—because I heard him go, “Nice foreplay for Thursday!”
And then Tate followed with a chuckled, “Let them be, brat.”
Macklin grinned into the kiss, and it made me grin too.
Oof, I got a little dizzy when I broke away and looked up at him.
“I think it’s safe to say we have chemistry,” he whispered.
I nodded.
Yeah. Um, yeah.
“I’m gonna go help Archie take out the cooktops for the pasta sauce.” He held my chin and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Preferably before he falls asleep in the corner.”
I flicked a glance over there, and sure enough, Archie was struggling to stay awake. He was literally standing up, leaning against the wall, and his eyelids seemed super heavy. And it made me frown, ’cause that wasn’t right.
“Is he okay, Sir?” I had to ask.
Macklin looked over there too, and he sighed. “I have a feeling I know what’s going on, but—come on. Let’s go ask him.”
Oh, me too? Yeah, okay.
He even grabbed my hand, and it was almost too much. Because a bajillion fucking hells, was this my life now? Owners, future play partners, friends…? Belonging to a community? Was this what that was like?
Not for the first time, I took Kit’s reminder to heart. Never ask a Dom to pinch you because it felt like you were living in a dream.
Archie tried to look alive as we approached, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Is it time to get the burners?”
“Not yet.” Macklin gave my hand a squeeze before he released me, and he folded his arms over his chest. “Are you gonna tell me what’s up with you, hon?”
Archie waved it off while stifling a yawn. “I’m just a bit tired.”
“A bit tired?” Macklin retorted. “You passed tired and cruised right into exhausted before you got here.”
That made Archie chuckle, and this time he couldn’t withhold his yawn. “Fine. It’s…” He let out a sigh. “It’s Master. He’s been pushing me more lately, and I’m only trying to adjust.”
I scrunched my nose. That didn’t sound like Master Greer—from what I’d observed online, or at the house in Mclean. He always seemed so attentive to Archie’s and Corey’s needs. And Sloan’s, for that matter.